The most likely reason you may have overpaid in the PAYE scheme is because of an issue with your tax code. It may not accurately reflect your current entitlements. Alternatively, you may have moved jobs during the tax year, and this can mean your current employer did not have accurate details about your circumstances.

Consult with HMRC online

Students are another group who should keep an eye on their tax deductions. The government offers information on its own website about claiming refunds that you may be owed.

If you are due a refund, HMRC will let you know via a P800 or a PA302 letter. For the last tax year, these letters would have been sent out after the beginning of September. If the communication tells you that it is possible to claim online, you should do so. The money could be in your account within five working days.

If your tax is calculated through the self-assessment scheme, any repayments due to you will be calculated once the form has been received by HMRC. You may be due a repayment if your income has gone down, and any payments you have made have exceeded your liability.

You can nominate an account for any repayments to be made on the form or offset it against any other liability, such as VAT or any repayments you are making against a previous year.

It should be noted that HMRC do make mistakes, so you may want to let your tax adviser look at any documentation you have received. You may have a business where your income is seasonal and fluctuates due to local events. Accountants in Cheltenham, such as those found at www.randall-payne.co.uk will be able to offer expert advice.

You may, of course, have underpaid your tax for the year. If so, HMRC must notify you within 12 months. Otherwise, you may apply for the claim to be dropped. Any payments due to HMRC can be spread over a few years.